Developed by 2K Boston/2K Australia (previously Irrational Games), BioShock is a first-person shooter set in the fantastically unsettling city of Rapture, a metropolis built under the sea by the megalomaniacal Andrew Ryan. Basically you start the game as an unknown male who is on a plane over the Atlantic Ocean in 1960. The game quickly gets you into the thick of things by crashing that plane. Your character (Jack) finds himself in the middle of the ocean...and descending into the ocean, you discover Rapture, which has fallen into chaos. However, you are not alone in this place. There are the lunatic enemies, of course. But there are others here, with agendas and foresight, plans for you, and plans for escape. After picking up a short-wave radio, you're contacted by an Irishman named Atlas. Atlas assists you through radio in making your way to safety. He tells you that the only way you can survive is to use the abilities granted by plasmids, and to kill the Little Sisters to extract their ADAM - a special gene-enhancement drug that allows its users to have super-human powers. In order to survive, you'll have to use some of the game's weapons to kill any splicers you find!

Although there are role-playing, survival and adventure elements, BioShock is at its heart a first person shooter so action fans will not be disappointed at all. In the game, you collect weapons (wrench, crossbow, pistol, shotgun to machine gun and grenade launcher), ammo, health packs, and Plasmids that give you special powers such as telekinesis, incinerate or electro-bolt, while fighting off the deranged population of the underwater city of Rapture. Each weapon usually has a few possible ammo types each of which have their own strengths and weaknesses, such as the anti-personnel handgun rounds which work great against people enemies, but not so great against well armored enemies, which tend to be more effectively defeated using the armor piercing rounds, or better yet, some sort of explosive in your grenade launcher. When you combine the plasmid and basic weapon systems, the end result is combat gameplay that is truly unique.

The main resources in the game are ADAM, EVE, and Money. ADAM is used to purchase new plasmids, EVE (which is similar to "mana" in fantasy RPGs) is fuel for active plasmids, and Money allows the purchase of special items and ammunition, upgrades as well as "buying out" security bots and turret. If you don't have enough money, you can hack these devices and earn free items by playing a relatively simple mini-game involving slides. This isn't as easy as it sounds, and it can be frustrating to do after awhile.

There are a number of different enemies in the game. The city is trashed, and genetic freaks called splicers roam around, attacking anything that gets in front of them. The game's AI is pretty solid here, sometimes when they were down in health they would try to get to a health station to get recharged. There are also mechanical enemies like stationary and helicopter turrets. The main creatures you deal with are the Little Sisters and Big Daddies. When you encounter a Big Daddy, he's usually protecting a Little Sister. In order to get the Adam she holds within her, you have to defeat the Big Daddies, which isn't as easy as it sounds since they have plenty of firepower and will attack you relentlessly if you threaten a little sister. The Little Sisters are pretty crucial to your survival. Depending on your moral choice you can either kill them and take all their ADAM or save them and take only a portion of ADAM (this choice makes the game much harder to complete, since you have fewer options in the genetic upgrade vending machines). Which means you can play through BioShock twice and have an almost completely different experience depending on your choices. If you choose the good path, it has a positive effect for the game later on and makes for an almost completely different ending to the game.

Overall, BioShock is one of the best games ever made. Turn off the lights, crank up the volume, take your time and enjoy it. It's about the experience not the high score! I can easily say BioShock delivers the most rewarding and adrenaline-filled experience I have ever had with any action game!

It's an incredible game and it takes quite a bit of playing to eventualy open up the 'meat' of the upgrades and of course to see the error of your ways....or not re; the 'little sisters' :wink:
Only problem i had was with one level whereby it kept saying (bottom of screen pressing Escape) that i still had to 'rescue' one little sister and the game would be harder etc,etc???
Turned out that this is a bug for that level -forum full of that problem.
Quit completely and reload save seemed to cure it.

Other than that agree with the 100%. There's a lot of fun to be had with the permutations of traps!

Shaligar

(05:07 PM EDT - Sep,17 2007 )

I don't remember a 100 in gameguru reviews, and I must say this is the game that most deserves it.

Even tho, I found what in my opinion are some flaws. But those are only personal differences in my views, so you I guess can't blame them on the game.

I find the story a bit sketchy at the end, even with the sound recorders you collect, looks a bit like they didn't knew how to end it.

Also, I think death without any penalties is too convenient. Yeah, you are gonna load the game if you die, but this way enables you to exploit it, like saving first aid kits while killing a big daddy near a 'reviving machine'.

Perhaps they should have remained in the System Shock style, making you enable the vitachambers before being able to use them.

Other than that, it has been the best game I have played in a long time, and ran very well on my slightly aged computer, at max settings! :D

th4t1guy

(07:42 PM EDT - Sep,17 2007 )

Wow...a 100%. I guess now I know which website to ignore game reviews from.

baal

(05:52 AM EDT - Sep,19 2007 )

100%??? c`mon gameguru

it`s just another shooter, stopped playing after level 3

nb411

(07:58 AM EDT - Sep,19 2007 )

baal> 100%??? c`mon gameguru

it`s just another shooter, stopped playing after level 3

Exactly the reason you are confused. :wink:

Nosferatu

(12:27 PM EDT - Sep,19 2007 )

Couldn't agree more with HX. Absolutely incredible game, enjoying every second of it. Only I would give it 99% because I'm getting crashes with the High detail shaders option (7600gt, latest drivers). Otherwise it's a completely 100% experience!

darknothing

(08:35 PM EDT - Sep,23 2007 )

really eh? wow, i came through alot of bugs and glitches in my retail version of the game....

ai being spawned every time you click on the bee hives scripted ai everywhere.. the world isnt what they said it would be... they said it be like oblivion but i find theres no reason to go back to the levels you been through, so theres no replay value to this game...it is just another shooter, but its the best looking one out so far.

Ainstain Junior

(06:17 PM EDT - Oct,17 2007 )

I dont remember a 100% percent review to guys...This game is totaly Awesome a near perfect job my opinion.The plasmids are very fun to play,the weapons are not something special(TommyGun)etc and i would like it more open and non linear.I will give it a 97% and my opinion i recomend it to all that want a totaly new FP experience.